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if you want to do a wood handle then I would do a mortised tang handle. take off the old handle and clean up the tang. Use a rough belt ~36 grit also drill som holes through the tang. Now split your wood then sand or plane both side perfectly flat. mark out where the tang will go then cut or chisel in a mortise on both sides. mark the holes on the tang in the mortise of the handle material and then drill holes in the wood in the location of the holes in the tang. DON'T DRILL ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE WOOD.now get a small burr with a ball on the end about the same size as the holes drilled in the wood. use it o make the holes mushroom shaped ie.. the bottom of the hole is bigger than the top. you can drill hole and install pins in the flat where the two halves will be touching when they are glued back togetherif you want just make sure the won't show after the handle is shaped. now use a good quality wood glue to glue the handle together. if they are sanded so they fit together perfect the glue line will be nearly invisible. The next part is a little messy but I think it is necessary. Us a slow setting epoxy (acra glass) and mix enough to completely fill the tang hole. I like acra glas because it can be warmed to ~ 100 degrees and it will run like water. fill the tang hole and give the glue enough time to fill the mushroom shaped holes you made in the wood. maybee a minute, maybee less. check any left over glue for hardening. now push the tang into the hole and clean up all the glue that runs out and clamp things together untill dry. (over night) I personnelly gaurantee that if you followed my directions the handle will last longer than the original did. shape the new handle to your liking and enjoy, think about your father when you use it.

I understand your feelings. I think that if it were my dad's and the handle were in good to great shape I would keep it the way it is. But since the handle is coming off I know My father would be very pleased and proud of me if I were to rehandle it rather than having someone else put a handle on it for me.

I heard back from Estwing, and they very politely told me that they can't really help, because they don't have any old grips lying around, and even if they did, it's against ANSI safety standards to rehandle, aid in any rehandle work. You could tell they actually would've helped if they could've. At least, I'll assume so.

I was gonna say that the older "integral" hammers of that type have the stacked leather handles and they last forever if you take care of them. My dad has one that is at least 40 yeas old and it is still rockin'.